Improved brick-machine



. @nitehltatr @anni ,ffiizay nJOHN TAGGARRF EOXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, ISAAC AMES, AND ALFRED G. TAGGART, AND-ALFRED G. TAGGART ASSIGNOR TO SARAH P. TAG- G'ART.

. Letters 'Patent' No. 75,596, dated Min-ch 17, 1868.

IIVIPROVBD BRICK-MACHINE.

TO ALL PERSNS T0 WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

Be it known that I, JOHN TAGGAnT, now or late of Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk, and AState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Mixing' and Moulding Clay for the Manufacture of Bricks therefrom; and I do hereby declare the same to be fullyY described in the -following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top View,

Figure 2 a side elevation,

Figure 3 an end view,

Figure 4 a vertical and longitudinal section, and

Figure 5 a transverse section of it. y

Figure 6 is a horizontal section, taken through the endless former or chain and the reducers with which l such former operates in compressing the clay and reducing it to bricks or parallelopipeds.`

In such drawings, A denotes a reservoir for the reception of the clay to be mixed or stirred. Each side of the said receptacle A is curved, so as to be concentric with three vertical shafts B C D, arranged within the receptacle, and being duly supported in and by a frame, E, by which thc reservoir is sustained. Each of the shafts has a series of bars or knives, a ot, extended through it horizontally and diametrically, as is Athe case with the shaft of a common pug-mill. rlhe ends of the receptacle A arc not concentric with the two outer shafts, but yare eccentric therewith, and are curved and arranged with and connected to the sides in manner as exhibited in iig. l; inl other words, each Yof-theni extends from the sides so as to form a chamber, V, havin-gV a form in horizontal section like unto a. crescent. Within each of the said end-chambers is a plunger, F, which depends from the adjacent end of a working-beam or lever, G, arranged in nianner and supported by theframe E, as

r represented. v v i Directly underneath each of theplungers F, a hcleor passage, b, is made through the bottom ofthe reservoir, so as to open into the space between the endless former II and the reducers I I. This endless former I-I is arranged underneath and against the bottonny, of the reservoir, and on a bed-plate or platform, K.` It is composed Iof a series of right-angular links hinged together. Each of such links consistsof two rectangular plates c el, making a right angle with each other, in manner as represented. The chain II is'supported on the perimetcrs of two prisms L L, fixed on the vertical shafts B D, such shafts b eing provided with spur-gears N N to engagewith and be revolved by a pinion, O, fixed on the shaft C. A bevcl-gear, P, carried by the shaft C, engages with a bevel-pinion, Q, fixed on a driving-shaft, R, which is arranged and supported by the frame E and a bracket, e, in manner as shown in the drawings.

On the upper part of the shaft C is Va camn'ied wheel, S, or, in other words, a disk, provided with three camsfff, projectingupward from. it. These cams are to act successively against each of two friction-rollers gg, applied to the working or walking-beam G. The cammed wheel is for e'ecting the reciprocating or vibratory motions ofthe walking-beam, so as to operate or move the plunger up and down alternately.

Byinspection of iig. 6 ofthe drawings, it will be perceived that each of the redueers I I is not arranged parallel to the endless chain or former H, but is somewhat oblique thereto, and ator near one end nearly touches it. Also, that between. such end and the next adjacent extremity of the other reducer is an opening or space, T, through which the moulded bricks are to be discharged. Such discharge of each brick is effected by means of a roller, U, arranged vat and below the said Aend of thc reducer, and being fixed on a horizontal, shaft, 7:, provided with a. driving-pulley, z'. Endless belts are to go around the driving-pulleys z' z' of the two discharging-rollers, and also about a grooved pulley, 7c, fixed on the shaft R, the same being to effect such rotary motions of the discharging-rollers as will cause th'orn to discharge the moulded bricks successively from the moulding-mechanism. An endless apron o r carrier may extend about each of the'rollers U, and be employed to remove the bricks from the moalding-mechanism and transfer them to any desirable locality. The operations of the machine muy bc thus described: The reservoir A having been supplied with clay, .and the driving-shaft R being put in revolution by any suit.ible,`inotor, whether animal or rnechanicahthe three shafts B C D, with'their series of stirrers, will be put in revolution. The clay will be mixed or stirred up or reduced to a iuent state, and will be driven toward and into the plunger-recesses er chambers V, from which, from time to time, it will be expelled by the plungers; that is to say, the clay will be driven through the openings of the bottom of the reservoir, and inthe space between the endless fermer and the reducer-s.

While each of the links of the endless former is in movement along each of the curved parts of the reducers and to the straight parts thereof, the jaws or projecting parts c c of the endless former will close together or be moved toward one another, and finally into parallelism, so as to compress lengthwise the clay which may he between them. Next, as they pass along the straight part of the reducer, such part, by being atan acute angle with the straight part ofthe endless former, will cause the clay to be gradually compressed in thickness. Finally, each ofthe masses of clay so compressed will be reduced to the shape of a brick, and be expelled from the pressing-mechanism by the discharging-roller or apron.

From the above it will be seen that, while the machine may be in' operation, a continuous stream of bricks will be discharged from each end of it, and that bricks ready'for being dried and burned will be produced by it with great rapidity. u

The machine above described thus contains a continuously-operative moulder or mechanism, which readily moulds the bricks, and also compresses them in two directions, that is, lengthwise and laterally.

I claim the combination ofthe endless former H, constructedsubstantially in manner as described, the top and bottom covering-plates y K and one or# two plates or reducer-5I I, arranged in manner and so as to operate with it, as explained. v Y n I 'alsoelaim a clay-reservoir, A, as made with the plunger andscmicrescential clay-receiving recesses or chambers V, arranged at its ends, and provided with discharging-openings leading therefrom, as explained.

I also claim the combination of the two plungersF F and their operative mechanism with the clay-reservoir A and its mechanism for stirring-and mixing the clay.

I also claim the combination, as well as the arrangement, of the endless former H, constructed substantially v as described, the platform K, one or more reduccrs, I, the reservoir A, and mechanism for mixing the clay therein, and mechanism for expellingit therefrom into the moulds and pressing-mechanism, substantially as described;

I also claim the combination ofthe discharging-roller U and its operative mechanism with the platform K, the endless former, and the reducer or rcdncers I I, applied thereto, substantially in manner and so as to operate as described.

JOHN TAGGART.

Witnesses:

It.A H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.,v 

